The Samsung Galaxy S5 is being heavily marketed at the minute, and one of its biggest selling points will be its heart rate monitor, which could well become a standard feature on the modern mobile.
If you buy an S5, you can synch the heart rate monitor with any number of companion fitness apps. This has some brilliant implications.
If you're a keen runner, you can pitch your times on certain routes against those of other joggers, effectively 'gamifying' your life. This is a common theme amongst fitness apps; with each app you're effectively getting a support network or a virtual 'running club' to egg you on and motivate you when you're feeling lazy.
The fantastic RunKeeper app collaborated with Gympact - an app which charts your daily regimes and at the end of each week and you can sign up to have your credit card charged if you haven't fulfilled your routines. This is extreme but it nicely highlights the communal imperative of the modern fitness app.
Smartwatches might not have quite taken off yet, but the fitness bracelet/smartwatch could propel hybrid wrist based accessories into the mainstream.
Don't confine the term 'fitness' solely to arduous gym trips and running. Buy a fitness bracelet like Samsung Gear Fit and you can track everything from sleeping patterns to calories and activity levels. This could have implications for top level sport as well as everyday health.
For example, football teams started to wear fitness vests a few years ago in training, but once a session was over, that was it; these modern bracelet type devices are much less obtrusive and constantly engaged in how you're maintaining your health.
The Jawbone UP24's title effectively describes how the new fitness bracelets work as a 24 hour monitoring system of your overall health.
Your phone can be enough in its own right if you have a heart monitor and you don't want the fitness paraphernalia, but the fitness gear enhances the experience, and wearable tech is definitely on the horizon.
So if you want to get fit with the assistance of your smartphone, follow a few simple steps:
1) Look into buying the new Samsung S5 for its heart rate monitor and free fitness apps, or get a smartphone which can easily run pretty advanced apps.
2) Consider buying a fitness bracelet such as the Fitbit Flex, the Nike+Fuelband SE, the Jawbone UP24, or the Samsung Gear Fit.
3) Download apps such as Runkeeper, Strava, Fitness Buddy, Careot, Skimble or MyFitnessPal.
Watch the field of personal health and mobile applications soar in the coming months. The fitness and medical implications of products like Galaxy Gear are endless, and not just for the superfit; the average Joe will also be able to monitor their well-being in terms of sleep and diet.
How to Turn Your Smartphone into the Ultimate Fitness Device
